Vehicle-tire.



M. O. RMAN.

VEH TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.16, 1910.

' 3992M? Patented Mar. 31, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NEUTRAL COIWPI? ESSED Z if, I g

1/! v u I oM Rt-ssfafii r COMPRESSED jg WITNESSES v INVENTOR f v f 1 ATTORNEY M. G. OVERMAN.

VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 1e

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

2 SHEETS-S11E31 2.

ma d M e MAX CYRUS OVERMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

ooaoas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Application filed December 16, 1910. Serial No. 597,646.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MAX CYRUs OVERMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, hage invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

For a cushion tire to have easy or pneumatic riding quality, it is necessary load-bearing side walls adjacent the tire opening shall project toward the tread well below the wheel flanges so as to be unconfined laterally and freely responsii e to absorb shock, which they obviously are not if located wholly within the flange-space, or substantially so. My own tire belongs to this type with flange-free side walls, and I have discovered that the working requisites for this type consist in making its side walls ally tend, under do their work as far as possible by endwise, that is vertical compression of their material without bending or buckling action. Next, the material laterally displaced by the compression of the side walls should be compressed into the sides of the tire opening rather than reversely in the direction of or under the flanges,-because to do the latter to any great extent causes abrasion and wear of the tire at the flanges. My tire efficiently embodies these requisites but they have not been easy to attain because the side walls of a cushion tire of the flange-free type naturworking conditions, to bend outwardly, even to the extent of collapsing so that the-outer sides of their lower por- V tions bear on the ground. This results in a variety of defects, such as (1st) the distortion of the rubber into folds and bends and its excessive working or bending, leading to the quick destruction of the tire; (2d) the abrasion of the tire at the flanges; (3d) an ineflicient load-carrying capacity; (4th) an inefficient shock absorption because of the unnecessarily great diminution in the depth 'of the tire under load; (5th) an inordinate increase in the width of the tread, causing an unnecessary drain on the engine power and an increased shock to the vehicle due to the increased road contact. My own tire construction has advantages corresponding to thereverse of these defects because I have so designed and devised the tire that all of its features combine to control these flangefree side walls and to compel them to do their work as far as possible by endwise that is, vertical compression, with minimized that its lateral bending or buckling action,-and with the tendency for their laterally displaced material to fill into the tire opening rather than to mush outwardly under the flanges. These and other features and advantages .of my invention will appear from an understanding of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein I have shown only some of the preferred forms which my tire may take.

In the drawings, Figures 1 to t inclusive show in transverse section a form of m improved tire under the various degrees 0 vertical compression indicated in the figures, said drawings being made from actual tire sections or slabs about an inch thick, compressed to'the extents indicated; Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive Show another form of my tire under the various degrees of compression indicated,'these drawings also being made, as described, from slabs; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a fragment of a similar tire, the view being especially intended to show the longitudinal groove in the tread, the same being deeper than in the other tires, and Fig. 9 shows still another modification of the .tire.

The drawings indicate the parts at less than one-half their natural size, the tire of Fig. 1 for touring-car service being about 5" deep between tread and rim. The expression neutral used in the figures means that the tire shown in those figures is under no compression;in other words, is shown in the condition in which it is marketed as an article of manufacture.

I will now describe the tires shown in the drawings as being some of the specific embodiments which my invention is'adapted to take. I am not making any claim of novelty herein to the wheel rim and flanges or to the tire-securing and clamping'devices, and shall accordingly make only brief mention of these features in the following.

8 is a metal wheel-rim having at one side an outwardly directed convergentflange 9 and at its other side a similar flange 9 except that it is removablyattached to the rim by means of bolts. Therim may have the longitudinal beads shown on its outerv side receivable into corresponding grooves shown in the rim side of the tire to cooperate with the clamping devices hereinafter described to hold the tire more securely on the rim.

In the description and claims, I have found it convenient to describe the tire as of the tire and has a these sides of from 70 to 80 best effects. in cooperation with the other with its tread located under or below the rim side of the tire. Further, it will be understood' that the figures merely show trans-- verse sections through the tire, and Fig.. 8 a fragment of the entire tire which, it will be understood without saying, extends, like the ordinary tire, in a ring completely around the wheel. An inspection of the three embodiments of my tire shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 9 will show that all of said tires are hollow by means of a longitudinal opening-1 which has a V-sha ed transverse section whose base is at the ange-engaged portion 15 of the tire, and whose apex 3 extends toward the tread well below said flange-engaged portion. Said tires further have thic upright side walls 16 at the sides of said opemng and a deep nose portion 4 extending across the apex of theope'ning and acrossv the lower: ends of the side walls.-

The bottom of this nose portion is the tread widegroun'd contact deliverin the vertical thrusts from the tread .wel under the side walls- 16, consequently, the two deep halves of the nose portion constitute. a firm ground-support for the side-Walls of the tire. 12 is a longitudinal groove which divides the nose portion upwardly from the 'tread toward the apex portion of the longitudinal opening, and, as hereinafter explained, relieves said apex from the verticalthrusts from the tread and furthermore, this groove on account of its depth gives lateral flexibility' to the nose portion, permitting it to bend in conformitywith the road inequalities and other conditions, and thereby largely saves the side walls from bending workwhich they would otherwise be compelled to do to their detriment and damage. The deeper the groove, the greater is this lateral flexibility, the most flexible nose of all of the tires shown. It will be understood that the two halves of the nose must not be flimsy or collapsible, since it is part of the principle of my tire that they shall constitute firm load supports in continuation of the side walls 16.

Thesides ofthe tires below the flange-engaged portion and adjacent the longitudinal opening converge steeply toward the tread on substantially straight lines. I prefer a range of inclination to the horizontal for features, The side walls 16 are shown thicker toward the tread than toward the base. For good practice theyshould be at least as thick toward the tread as toward the base.

\ ing thelongitudinal opening 1 that preferpermits the thick and consist in Fig.

the tire of Fig. 8 having as giving the.

It will be'further' noted concerntire by an overhanging longitudinally split clamping portion 5, which the tire is clamped to the rim. The securing means shown is a clamping'plate 6 (shown in cross section) and a stem 7 adjustablyconnecting the plate with the rim 8. It .Wlll be understood that there may be a pluralit of these clamping plates and stems aroun inwardly directed portions 5 of the tire are clamped by the plates against the rim. It will be'n'oted that this method of clampin upright side walls of the tire to consist of unclamped live rubber from the tread to the rim in the best possible conditiontohave maximum shock-absorbing capacity. Whereas in the tire of Fig, 1, the sides of gitudinalopening are straight,-it will be seen that the sides of the modified tires of Figs. 5 and 9 are directed slightly inwardly 5 of two pieced-together the rim, and that on taking up on these stems the t the tire and of the lon-.

straight 1ines'11,'and in Fig. 9 of slightly curved lines 10. Also, it will be noted that the sides 10 0f the tire opening in Fig. 9 curve slightly inwardly. If anything, the best results in the controlfof the side walls 16 are obtained when the lines at the sides of the tire arestraight, neither curving inwardly nor outwardly, especially so far as those portions of said sldes are concerned which extendbelow tion of the tire, tudinal opening, tions of the walls and'which it is properly employ.

inspection. of the compression diagrams beginning with Figs. 1 and 5 respectively will show how' perfectly, especially up to 1 compression, has been the control and vertical compression of the side walls,

the flange-engaged porbecause it is. the free' porwhich are inherently weak and how naturally the laterally displaced material has filled into the longitudinal opening without bulging the sides of the tire outwardly under the flanges to any injurious extend and without producing any injurious folds or distortions in the material of the tire, and without changing the general characteror appearance of the tire, which-is a criterion that its working principle is correct, the wholly compressed figures still having the appearance of the neutral tire. I have said especially up to 1" in the foregoing because the compression diagrams that show the tires compressed more than. 1" illustrate abnormal conditions which occur in practice infrequently, the tire handling average loads and .shocks at a" compression, maximum loads and shocks at 1'" having still an all-.sufiicient reserve capacity beyond this forhandling The expression thick side walls, and deep as applied to the the problem to'control and abnormal shocks. as applied to the and are adjacent the longi- I compression, and a material inward tendency into LOQQJWE nose, are of course only relative and are intended to mean that the longitudinal openin is small relative to the sectional outline of the particular tire. Obviously, the actual dimensions of these parts will vary with the size of the .tire suited to the weight and nature of the vehicle.

I will now attempt to state briefly the theory of the operation of my tire so far as I know it at this time. The walls 16 pro ject largely below the flange space and consequently are properly responsive to absorb shock. Further, they are thick and upright and therefore not liable to bend and collapse under vertical compression. The bottom of the nose portion 4 extends under and supports these walls 16 and therefore delivers the vertical thrusts from the tread to them in vertical manner without creating bending strains in the walls. The walls 16, while, generally speaking, being upright, nevertheless steeply converge toward the tread so that the thrusts will always be acting endwise on at least one of the side walls in spite of the constant tilting of the tread due to inequalities in the road and in spite of the constant lateral swaying of the vehicle. Finally, the tread groove has the effect of displacing the actual tread contact outwardly from the center toward the sides of the tire so that the thrusts are more directly and exclusively under the side walls. I keep the walls 16 in place by holding them in and by giving their laterally displaced the sides of the longitudinal opening, because the reverse tendencies soon get beyond control and cause the walls to mush outwardly, to distort, and even break down and collapse. To the end of keeping in the walls 16, each flange-engaged basal" portion 15 of the tire constitutes an elbow along with its inwardly directed clamping portion 5 immediately overhanging the base of the triangular longitudinal opening, and along 'withthe downwardly depending side wall 16. These elbows by being supported at their outer corners by the flange and rim andby being clamped at their portions 5, resist any tendency of the side walls 16 to move outwardly. Next, the lower ends of the walls 16 are bound together by the nose piece 4. The walls 16 are substantially straight and con verge to form a V pointing toward the thrusts. This is the ideal relation to make the Walls 16 receive the thrusts vertically with minimum tendency to bend outwardly. The laterally displaced material is prevented from bulging out detrimentally against or under the flanges by giving it rather the reverse tendency into the longitudinal opening as follows: The sides 2 of the longitudinal opening incline across the vertical thrusts from the tread so that the laterally displaced material naturally compresses min the longitudinal opening by way of its sides. Next, the feature also helps that the longitudinal opening has so small a bottom, which also is shielded from the vertical thrust from the tread by the groove 12. If the longitudinal opening has a broad bottom and the tread thrusts are allowed to act on it, the nose material is forced up intoit with resulting vertical compression of the opening and tendency to outward bulging of its side walls 16. Detrimental pressure against and bulging under the flanges is prevented by the features already described, and by the further feature that the sides of the tire below its flangeengaged portions and adjacent the longitudinal opening converge steeply toward the tread, their preferred inclination to the horizontal ranging from to degrees.

Many of the foregoing features contribute to save the side walls 16 from excessive bending work, and this result is largely contributed to by the lateral flexibility of the nose portion a, due to the tread groove 12, because said nose is able to do much of this work by itself bending and yielding in conformity with the road inequalities and other conditions.

The expression bending collapse in the claims means not only an actual collapse but also the tendency toward collapse showing in a buckling or like distortion of the supporting parts of the tire.

What ll claim is:

1. A new article of manufacture, a cushion tire which is hollow by means of a longitudinal opening having a ll-shaped transverse section whose base is at the flange-engaged portion of the tire and whose apex extends toward the gaged portion, said tire having thick upright side walls at the sides of said opening and a deep nose portion extending across the apex of said opening and across the lower ends of said walls, said nose portion having a bottom with a wide ground-contact delivering the vertical thrusts from the tread well under said side walls, said nose having portions removed therefrom extending deeply up into it from the tread which weaken it under the apex portion of the V- shaped opening and giveit lateral flexibility under the side walls of the tire.

2. A new article of manufacture, a cushion tiie which is hollow by means of a longitudinal opening having a V-shaped transverse section whose base is at the flange-engaged portion of the tire and whose apex extends toward the tread well below said flange-engaged'portion, said tire having thick upright side walls at the sides of said opening and a deep nose portion extending across the apex of said opening and across the lower ends of said walls, said nose portion having a bottom with a wide ground-contact delivering the tire which is hollow by means of weaken it under the apex portion vertical thrusts from said side walls, said nose having portions re- .moved therefrom extending deeply up into it from the tread which weaken it under the apex portion of the V-shaped opening and give it lateral flexibility under the side walls of the tire, said tire having its sides below its flange-engaged portion and adjacent the longitudinal opening steeply converging toward the tread on substantially straight lines.

3. A new article of manufacture, a cushion a longitudinal opening having a V-shaped transverse section whose base is at the flange-engaged portion of the tire and whose apex extends toward the tread. well below said flange-engaged portion, said tire having thick upright side walls at the sides of said opening and a deep nose portion extending across the apex of said opening and across the lower ends of said walls, said nose portion having a bottom with a wide ground-contact delivering the vertical thrustsfrom the tread well under said side walls, said nose having portions removed therefrom extending deeply up into it from the tread. which of the V- give it lateral flexibility under the side walls of the tire, said tire having its sides below its flange-engaged portion and adjacent the longitudinal opening steeply converging toward the tread on sub stantially straight lines, said side walls being thicker toward the treadthan toward the base of the tire.

4. A new article of manufacture, a cushion tire whose transverse section consists of two parts, an upper and a lower, the former being engaged by the wheel flanges and the latter being free of said flanges, the shape of the lowerpart being substantially trapezoidal with its inclined sides converging steeply toward the tread, said tire being hollow by means of a longitudinal opening having a small V-shaped transverse section whose base isat the flange-engaged part-of the tire and whose apex extends well into the lower part ofthe tire, said tire having side Walls comprised between the sides of said opening and the sides of the tire, and having a nose portion between the apex of the opening and the tread of the tire, said nose having portions removed therefrom extending deeply up into it from the tread which weaken it under the apex portion of the V-shaped opening and give it lateral flexibility under the sidewalls of the tire.

5. A newarticle of manufacture, a cushion tire whose transverse section consists of two parts, an upper and a lower, the former being engaged by the wheel flanges and the latter being free of said flanges, the shape of the lower part being substantially trapezoidal with its inclined sides converging steeply toward the tread at an angle to the shaped opening and the tread well under ing side walls horizontal of fromto degrees, said tire being hollow by means of a longitudinal opening having a small V-shaped transverse section whose base is at the flange-engaged part of the tire and whose apex extends well into the lower part of the tire, said tire havcomprised between the sides of said opening and the sides of the tire, and having a nose portion between the apex of the opening and the tread of the tire, said nose having portions removed therefrom ex tending deeply up into it from the tread which weaken it under the apex portion of the V-shaped opening and give it lateral flexibility under the side walls of'the tire, said side Walls being thicker toward the tread than toward the base of the tire.

6. A new article of manufacture, a cushion tire which is hollow by means of a longitudinal opening having a V-shaped transverse section whose base is at the flange-engaged portion of the tire and whose apex extends toward the tread well below said flange-engaged portion, side walls at the sides of said opening and a deep nose portion extending across the apex of'said opening and across the lower ends of said walls, said nose portion having a bottom with a wide ground-contact delivering the vertical thrusts from the tread Well under said side walls.

A new article of manufacture, a hollow cushion tire comprising a flange-engaged base ortion, flange-free thick, substantially straig t side-walls, containing the hollow of the tire between them and converging steeply from said base-portion toward each other, and a deep nose portion extending across the lower ends of said walls, said nose portion having a bottom with a wide ground contact delivering-the vertical thrusts from the tread well under said side-walls, said nose being laterally flexible under said walls by being longitudinally weakened from the tread under the hollow of the tire.

8. A hollow cushion tire comprising the combination of flange-free, thick, substantially straight side verge toward the tread inclosing between them the longitudinally extending tire-hollow of a small triangular cross section, said combination further comprising a wide, deep, substantial nose portion extending acrossthe hollow of the tire in firm supporting' ground-contact under said walls, the side-portions of said tire from tread to rim supporting the load by their vertical compression with accompanying thickening but without bending collapse, and the outline of the compressed tire remaining substantially like the uncompressed tire.

9. A hollow cushion tire comprising the combination of flange-free, thick, substantially straight side walls which steeply converge toward the tread inclosing between walls which steeply conopening and 11. A new article of manufacture,

them the longitudinally e tending tire-hollow of a small triangular cross section, said combination further comprising a wide, deep, substantial nose portion extending across the hollow of the tire in firm supporting ground-contact under said walls, the side-portions of said tire from tread to rim supporting the load by their vertical compression with accompanying thickening but without bending collapse, and the outline of the compressed tire remaining substantially like the uncompressed tire, said nose being deeply weakened from the tread giving deep flexibility to its supporting portions beneath the side walls.

10. A new article of manufacture, a cushiontire which is hollow by means of a longitudinal opening having a \l 'shaped transverse section whose base is at the flangeengaged portion of the tire and whose apex extends toward the tread well below said flange-engaged portion, said tire having thick upright side walls at the sidesof said a deep nose portion extending across the apex of said opening and across the lower ends of said Walls, said nose portion having a bottom with a wide groundcontactdelivering the vertical thrusts from the tread well under said side walls, said tire having its outer sides below its flangeengaged portion and adjacent the longitudinal opening steeply converging toward the tread in substantially straight lines.

a cushion tire which is hollow'by means of a longitudinal opening having a ll-shaped transverse section whose base is at the flange-engaged portion of the tire and whose apex extends toward the tread well below said contact delivering flange-engaged portion, said tire having thick upright side Walls at the sides of said opening and a deep nose portion extending across the apex of said opening and across the lower ends of said walls, said nose portion having a bot-tom with a wide groundcontact delivering the vertical thrusts from the tread Well under said side walls, said tire having its outer sides below its flangeengaged portion and adjacent the longitudinal opening steeply converging toward the tread in substantially straight lines at an angle to the horizontal of from 7 0 to 80 degrees, and the inclination of the sides of the V-shaped opening not being steeper than said outer sides. v

12. A new article of manufacture, a cushion tire which is hollow by means of a longitudinal opening having a ll-shaped transverse. section whose gaged portion of the tire and whose apex extends toward the tread wellbelow said flange-engaged portion, said tire having thick upright side walls at the sides of said opening and a deep nose portion extending across the apex of said opening and across the lower ends of said walls, said nose portion having a bottom with "a wide groundthe vertical thrusts from the tread, well under "said side walls, said nose portion being deeply weakened from the tread giving deep flexibility thereto beneath the side walls. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Y MAX CYRUS @VERMAN.

Witnesses:

ALAN G. MoDoNNnLL, E. W. SGHERR, Jr.

base is at the flange-env p 

